Sambal Oelek Recipe (Essential Chili Paste)

Sambal Oelek Recipe

We know you all love sriracha – Homemade Sriracha, anyone? – but have you cooked with Sambal Oelek chili paste? Perhaps it is time to begin.

What is Sambal Oelek?

While Sriracha is distinctly Thai, Sambal Oelek is Indonesian, and it is essentially a raw chili paste made from ground chili peppers. It uses only simple ingredients, traditionally red chili peppers, vinegar and salt.

It can be used as a base to make sambals and other sauces, and works best when used more as a spicy condiment or flavoring ingredient than as a direct sauce or hot sauce.

A “sambal” actually refers to any chili sauce or paste that is made from a variety of chili peppers, with any number of other ingredients added in for flavor. Any chili sauce or paste would be called sambal.

What Does Sambal Oelek Mean?

The word “sambal” is an Indonesian word referring to a sauce made primarily with chili peppers. “Oelek” (or sambal olek or sambal ulek) refers to a mortar and pestle.

Hence, Sambal Oelek is Indonesian for a chili sauce ground with a mortar and pestle.

Sambal Oelek Ingredients

Thai red peppers would be optimal for making sambal oelek at home, but you can use other chilies

If you can’t find Thai peppers, or if they are too hot for you, try cayenne peppers, red serranos, or red jalapeno peppers. Of course there are many other options, but these particular peppers work the best in order of descending heat levels.

How to Make Sambal Oelek

Making Sambal Oelek is very simple. Add your chili peppers, vinegar and salt to a food processor, blender, or other grinder. A Molcajete is a great option here.

Next, process or mash the mixture until a coarse paste forms.

Add the resulting chili paste, Sambal Oelek, to a jar and cover. Refrigerate until ready to use.

There are variations, of course. A tour of the web will find other ingredients added to Sambal Oelek, such as garlic, lime juice, rice vinegar and more, though at some point, with such additions, the paste stops being Sambal Oelek and becomes something else.

This is what Sambal Oelek is for, to be used as a base, a springboard to new and interesting flavors. I’ve also seen recipes with the paste cooked down a bit.

I suppose this would mellow it out, but traditionally the paste is simply ground with a mortar and pestle, though you can use a food processor to achieve the same effect, of course.

You can find sambal oelek in stores. The most popular brand I see is from Huy Fong Foods. I’m here to show you how to make it at home, though. Much better!

Serving Ideas for Sambal Oelek

In truth, Sambal Oelek works great as a simple way to preserve your peppers. The salt and vinegar will let you keep them a long time. Pop it into the fridge and pull it out to swirl into any sort of soup or stew, anything in a crock pot or slow cooker.

Swirl it up into a bowl of hot noodles with some soy sauce and fish sauce and you have a super simple lunch. I use it to make my own homemade Spicy Ramen Noodles or delicious dipping sauces.

I used it just last night by adding a couple tablespoons to a traditional pesto, then tossed it with noodles. Topped it with some seared salmon and BOOM! Quick, easy dinner with just the right touch of spice.

Sambal Oelek Vs. Sriracha

Sambal oelek is more of a base recipe compared to sriracha. Sriracha is sweeter and usually has more vinegar included in the recipe.

Sambal oelek, on the other hand, is usually thicker and contains fewer ingredients. Because it is less processed, it is often much spicier than your typical sriracha.

See my Homemade Sriracha Recipe for more information about sriracha.

Sambal Oelek Substitutes

You have several options to substitute for sambal oelek in recipes. None of these will duplicate the flavors, but each can work in a pinch.

Try using the following:

• Sriracha – often the best substitution
• Harissa – it will alter the final flavor of your dish, but can still be rather tasty
• Chinese Chili Sauce or Paste
• Any Basic Chili Paste or Chili-Garlic Paste
• Gochujang – has a deeper, more fermented flavor

Storage Information

Sambal oelek will last 2-3 months or longer in a sealed container in the refrigerator due to the acidity.

You can also freeze it in freezer containers for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it in an ice cube tray for small useable portions.

Here are a Few Recipe Suggestions for Sambal Oelek

Time to make the Sambal Oelek! Let me know how YOU use it.

Learn more about How to Make Chili Paste.